Rotting Petals
by xfallenangelotaku
Summary: All it took was one mistake, and now Ib's only chance of escape is gone. She wakes up to find herself tangled in unbreakable vines, all alone ...or is she? Soon love is altered to hate and trust seems like just a naïve, distant memory. Will she escape, or be imprisoned in the twisted gallery for the rest of eternity? Following the ending Ib All Alone. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1: Choice

****Rotting Petals****

(An Ib Fanfiction by xfallenangelotaku)

****Rated T: ****for violence and language.

****Disclaimer:**** I don't own Ib or any of the characters! I mean, that would be amazing, and I would totally make an anime for it (Why isn't there an anime for it? T_T THAT WOULD BE SO COOL!) but, unfortunately, I don't.

****A/N:**** Hai Everyone! ^_^ I've been obsessed with Ib, so I decided to write a story about what happened after the ending Ib All Alone. This chapter is sort of a prologue to the actual story, so just bear with me. :)

There isn't really a pairing in this, but it could hint to GarryxIb if you would like. Personally, I lean more towards the brother-sister relationship though. :)

**NOTES: **Anything written _"in quotations and italics"_ is dialogue that is heard by Ib, but from an unknown person. _Italicized lines_ are Ib's thoughts.

Updates once a week, usually on the weekend. Hope you enjoy!

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><p><strong><strong>Ch 1: Choice<strong>**

"Yes! I'm really in! Hurry up, Ib!

"Ib..."

"Ib, what's wrong? Come on!"

"Ib, I finally found you! Sheesh, I was looking everywhere! Don't just go running off places on your own! Your father's waiting for you too, see? Let's go Ib!"

"Ib! Hey, what are you doing?! Hurry up and come over!"

"Ib! How many times have I told you? Don't go following strangers!"

"Hey, it's not scary, okay? You'll be fine!"

"Ib! Listen to your mother! Don't go with some stranger! Do you never want to see your mother and father again?"

"Ib, I'll pull you over!"

"Come with me..."

"Grab my hand..."

"IB!"

Ib tentatively looked between Mother and Garry. __Garry's telling me leave, but Mommy... Mommy's here. All I wanted was to see her and Daddy. __Ib held out her hand to Mother, following her as she walked the direction in which she came.

"Ib, wher-"

_Woosh._

Ib quickly glanced back. The frame of the "Fabricated World" reappeared, Garry disappearing with it.

But she was with Mom again. What had kept her going was to see them again, right? But Ib couldn't shake the feeling that something... something was wrong...

Mother twisted the knob, leading the girl into the room.

It was pitch black.

"Mommy... wha-"

Suddenly Ib felt something strike her across the face, and everything turned black.


	2. Chapter 2: Trapped

**A/N:** Hello again! Here's chapter 2. :P And a big shoutout and thank-you to SomeoneBehindTheShadows for following this story! ^_^

Please review, fav, follow, and all that cool stuff if you like this. Even if you want to just tell me how bad my writing is, feel free.

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><p><strong>Ch. 2: Trapped <strong>

When Ib awoke, she was in the same pitch-black room. _Where am I? _She turned her head from side to side, but couldn't see a thing. It felt like she was sitting down, her back against something. She attempted to get up and feel around for a door, but something was stopping her.

Suddenly, a light flashed on, blinding her. She squinted, trying to cover her eyes, but couldn't. When her vision came back a few seconds later, she saw she was being restrained, her back against the wall. There were vines with sharp thorns around her neck, upper arms, waist, above her knees, and at her ankles. Her bright ruby rose dangled between thorns above her, just out of her reach (that is, if her arms weren't being held down).

_What's happening? And why does my head hurt so much?_

There was a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling above her, illuminating her and a few feet around her. She was in the corner of a room, but she couldn't see the end of the walls.

_Shuffle shuffle shuffle_

_Ib immediately tensed. What was that? Was it the Lady in Red again?! _As the noise got closer, Ib tightened her fists and shut her eyes, not knowing what else she could do.

"Hello, dear." her mother greeted, suddenly right in front of her.

"Mommy! It's you! Please, help me! Help! What's happening?!"

"Oh, Ib, darling. It's going to be alright. As long as you know your part." She walked past her, disappearing into the shadows.

"Wait!" _Why... why didn't she help me? And WHY am I tied up?!_

Then reality hit her.

She was still in this twisted gallery. She'd been with Garry, but she didn't go with him... _But why was Mother here? And where was Father? Did they get trapped here too?_

"Mommy? Daddy?" She called out, not knowing where they were, or if they were even in the room at all. "H-Hello? Are you there?"

She repeated yelling for them for hours, maybe days (she couldn't tell), until eventually her throat finally became too dry and scratching to speak.

Soon after, she fell asleep.

"_He's not here yet."_

"_Dammit! I was sure he'd arrived by now!"_

"_Maybe he's not going to come back..."_

"_No, he will. I know it."_

"_How do you figure that? Maybe he just wants to live his normal life-"_

"_I'm sure. Because he's coming back for _her_."_

Ib woke many times between sleeps, but could only seem to keep her eyes open for a few minutes at most, before drifting back to sleep. She'd usually catch bits of conversations between her parents and some distorted voice.

"_How much longer am I going to have to wait?!"_


	3. Chapter 3: No Escape

**N/A:** Good day, everyone. (or night. or morning. whatever time it is right now ^-^)

And thank you SO MUCH to SomeoneBehindTheShadows, Ventus286, JeanaStar, and Varus the Shadow Sage for following or favoriting this terrible fanfic! ^_^ You guys are so sweet! 3 COOKIES FOR EVERYONE! \(^~^)/ I'm glad there are still some people in the Ib fandom cuz its an _amazing_ game.

And to SomeoneBehindTheShadows: Thanks for the sweet review! I saw it pop up on my phone while I was in health class, and needless to say, it made me grin like an idiot. Then the teacher looked at me funny, because no one enjoys health class... ^_^ oh well!

Well, hope you enjoy!

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><p><strong>Ch. 3: No Escape<strong>

A while later, (Ib couldn't tell if it had been hours, or days, or months... the room, and the gallery for that matter, was constantly the same, there were no sun or stars to keep track of.) Ib finally woke, staying conscious. She just stayed still for a while, trying to process all this out.

Her thought was interrupted when she saw a figure in the shadows. The footsteps sounded familiar. Ib's face brightened immediately.

Her father walked towards her, smiling, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Something was wrong.

"Da...ddy!" She rasped

"Good morning, Ib."

"Daddy, we have to get out of here!" Ib struggled, trying to get away from the vines. The vines, usually snug but not painful, tightened around her, pricking her in several place. "Ow!" She winced. "Please, Daddy, help me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid that's not possible. You see, there's no escape from here." His eyes glinted coldly.

Ib gasped. _What's wrong with him...? _She'd never seen her father like this before. He was always so caring, his eyes warm and welcoming. He walked away, seeming to have something important to do. "Wait!" She reached out her hand slightly, her fingers touching her father's for a moment.

She didn't feel anything. The usual warmth of his skin wasn't there. She looked up, his face twisting into a cruel grin before disappearing. _I... I don't understand! What happened to him?_

Ib looked around her, still unable to see her surroundings, aside from the light above her and the dark green vines constricting her.

The walls were black and bare, while the floor was a polished white, seeming to glint cruelly at her. She twisted and tilted her neck, seeing a painting above her. _I've seen this before... _It was just like the painting she'd seen when she'd left the room with the bunnies. The painting that had separated her and Mary with Garry... with vines. Vines that were... unbreakable. Ib's heart dropped. So he was right, she really couldn't escape.

_But why were Mother and Father acting like that? _Ib's brain was still foggy with sleep, trying to recall what had happened. _But it doesn't make any sense! Didn't they want to escape with me? ...Unless..._

_Oh, no._

The pieces clicked together in Ib's brain.

_They were part of the gallery too._

They were probably from the painting of them she'd seen earlier. They weren't real... They probably came out of the painting like Mary did to try to keep them there.

And it had worked on her.

But, then... what happened to Garry? He went into the painting, so he must have gotten out, right? _I hope he did. _But a tiny part of her hoped that maybe he was still here, and that he'd come to save her. The gallery seemed so much scarier without him with her... Ib shook her head. _How selfish of me to think that. And I am _not _helpless, I'll just figure this out myself._

She strained her neck down, trying to peek around the vines for a way to get loose. She poked at the vines. They were made of stone, the thorns sanded and shaped into dangerously sharp daggers. She wiggled a little, and felt the points dig into her clothes and skin, cutting her. When she relaxed, so did the vines. She couldn't find a way out. There were no cracks or chips in the stone; it was flawless. She looked over to the right, annoyed.

HAVING FUN?

Red paint splattered on the wall next to her.

_Not that again. _She quickly whipped her head around, looking to the left instead.

STAY HERE FOREVER.

_What? _Ib was starting to get a little scared. _No, stop it, Ib!_ She told herself. _They're just trying to freak you out. _Instead, she glared ahead, into the shadows. She kept staring, hoping that maybe her eyes just needed to adjust, and that she would be able to see the rest of the room in a few minutes. But even as she glowered into it all day (or until she fell asleep again), all that was there was darkness.


	4. Chapter 4: Doom

**N/A:** Surprise! Second chapter in the same day! (woah! *flails arms* crazyyy!) This chapter was pretty short so I thought, why not just post it now?

And I'm really sorry if it's boring. I don't know, it just seems reeeeally slow to me. :( But it starts to get more interesting after this chapter (i mean, i think so... i hope so...)

And I know everyone's waiting for Garry to show up. I mean, I listed him as one of the characters, so WHERE THE FRICK IS HE?! Don't worry, you'll see him soon. I know we all love Garry. ^_^

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><p><strong>Ch 4: Doom <strong>

"_Why don't we just kill her?"_

"_Yeah, let's get it over with it and I can get out!"_

"_We must obey Mary. Her wish was for her to be alive and him dead. But anyway, we can have some fun while she's here. "_

"_I wonder how strong this little girl is..."_

For the next several periods of time between sleeping, her mother and father would visit her occasionally, but always saying something about her doom here.

"You'll be here until you and your rose rot."

"Just let go of hope. You'll be here for eternity."

"Be careful, Ib. Don't try to struggle. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself would you?"

"We're glad you decided to stay with us... forever."

Ib had stopped talking to them after realizing that they weren't real. She tried to keep her face straight and emotionless, not wanting them to see how scared she felt.

Garry has praised her on how tough she was, so she had to act like it.

"_You look different."_

"_I can take the form of whoever she wants to see the most. Hahaha, she'll lose all hope after this. This is going to be fun."_

After what felt like weeks of sleeping (it was pretty much all she _could_ do), Ib still didn't have a single clue on how to escape. She couldn't break out of the vines. She couldn't reach the door, wherever it was. She grew weaker and weaker everyday, but refused to give up. There had to be some way, and she'd figure it out eventually. But she always cold, starving, and frustrated. _Is there no food here? _She was obviously still alive, but her stomach constantly hurt.

She picked the candy Garry had given her out of her skirt pocket, and threw it into her mouth. She smiled a little, but soon found herself crying. There was something about the taste that she could only describe as... nostalgic.

_The lemon flavor was strong, but also very sweet..._

She gripped the wrapper in her hand, watching as her tears fell on her skirt.

_...Just like Garry. _

Once in a while, other visitors would pass by. The headless mannequins were usually in groups, moving there hands around like they were talking. The Ladies in painting would crawl by and the mannequin heads would scurry around occasionally. None of them paid much attention to her, as if she was just part of the decor. Sometimes they would growl or approach her, but they would never get past the thorns to touch her or her rose.

The dolls from the Sketchbook were the most friendly, waving at her or climbing on her legs. She'd entertain herself by watching them, sometimes picking them up or petting them, which they seemed to enjoy. But something about them make Ib feel... disturbed. And it was not just the fact that sometimes she'd see them flicker between the cute bunnies from that room and their usual bodies. Maybe it was their perpetual grins, or they way the spoke in eerie whispers. But, to be honest, it was nice to have the company. Ib never thought she'd be relived to see moving dolls instead of her parents.

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><p><strong>NA:** Hmm, very short...Don't worry, the next one will be longer. :) And the story starts actually moving instead of Ib just sitting there...


	5. Chapter 5: Mistrust

**A/N:** Here's chapter 5! ^_^ I hope you like it!

And these little thank-you notes are probably annoying, but I'm really happy some awesome people like this story. v So Thank you so so much JeanaStar, SomeoneBehindTheShadows, and Ventus286 for following!

And thank you JeanaStar, (both favorited AND followed? ^~^ Awww you're awesome!) Sammimi, and Varus the Shadow Sage for favoriting.

SomeoneBehindTheShadows: Aw, that's so sweet of you to say! ^w^ Thank you!

JeanaStar: Thanks! And I'm glad you like this (honestly, pretty boring) story!

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><p><span><strong>Ch. 5: Mistrust <strong>

One day, Ib woke up to a familiar clicking of shoes on the hard floor and a light swishing sound of fabric. The steps weren't as sharp and light as Mother's heels, but not as heavy as Father's. It didn't sound like any of the exhibits from the gallery either.

"W-Who's there?" Ib stuttered, her voice shaky and strange sounding from not speaking.

A tall figure emerged from the shadows; the first thing she saw was a flash of ragged dark blue cloth. Ib gasped, shutting her eyes for a second then opening the again. _I'm not imagining this... He's really here! _

"GARRY!" she screamed, overjoyed. She lunged forward, going to hug him. All she was met with the the gashes and cuts from the thorns ripping into her. Her clothes were already tattered, not giving much protection from the vines.

He knelt down in front of her, grinning. The air filled with the light scent of lemons. It was comforting.

"I missed you so much, Garry!"

"And I, you." He responded, staring at her beaming face.

_Hm? Something feels off... Ah, whatever, it must just be this place._

"Wait, why are you here? Did-"

Garry snapped his fingers, the vines around Ib retreating back into the painting. Ib gasped, moving her arms and legs and wiggling her fingers. "Finally!" She leaped forward, hugging him. "Thank you! How did you-"

Suddenly, Garry shoved her shoulders, Ib losing her balance and falling on her bum.

"Garry?" She looked up, concerned. "W-what did you do that for?" _Was he mad at me?_

He continued to gaze silently into her eyes. "Um... Garry, you're kind of scaring me..."

Then he began to lean forward.

_?!_ Ib quickly backed up as he moved closer, her eyes bulging and face burning red. "Wha-what are you doing? Garry?! Wha-" The back of her head hit the wall. "What's going on?!"

Garry pushed his hand against the wall next to Ib's head with a loud thud, making her jump.

"Shhh. Just calm down, Ib" he whispered into her ear, his breath sending chills up Ib's spine.

She realized what was wrong. His eyes, his smile, his touch... there was no trace of the usual warmth and kindness.

Garry pulled her by her neckerchief and pulled her up towards him, kissing her on the lips.

"HHMMFFF!?" She was startled, screaming with her mouth shut. She tried to push him away, flailing her short arms. He was much stronger than her, so it didn't have any effect. Ib kicked him blindly, still squeezing her eyes shut and trying to pull away.

"Ow!" He let go, rubbing his leg. "Don't do that again!"

"GARRY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Please, stop it!" She pleaded, scooting away from him.

"Oh, but I'm just having a little fun." He moved forward, holding Ib's arms down, pinning her against the wall.

"No!" Ib whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Garry, _stop_! I don't like this! STOP IT! Please-"

"Hush..." He grabbed her chin, turning her face to face him. "You look so adorable when you're scared, Ib," he grinned malevolently with a glimmer of insanity in his eyes.

"GET AWAY!" She shrieked, her eye widening. _Why was he doing this!? I...I have to get away from him!_

Ib squeezed her eyes shut and brought her knee up as fast as she could, shifting her weight to force him off her.

"OOF!" Garry groaned, curling up on the ground. She knew she'd hit him in the right place. She stood up and ran, fleeing into the darkness. She kept sprinting, not knowing where she was going or what she was going to do.

"You little bitch!" He spat, his voice echoing.

Ib just ran faster, her Mary Janes pounding on the floor.

**Thud Thud Thud**

She could hear Garry's shoes on the ground. They seemed to be coming closer, and fast.

"You can't escape, Ib!"

Ib peeked behind her, the little lit area far away. _How big is this room anyway?! _She couldn't see Garry behind her, but she could definitely hear him.

"You'll stay here forever with me!" _What's wrong with him?! I thought I knew him! Why is he acting like this? _

"No one's coming to save you, little girl! You'll be here until you and your rose rot!"

She dashed as fast as she could, adrenaline pumping through her.

"Come back, Ib! Come play!"

Ib stifled a scream, her feet slipping on something on the ground. She hit the floor, pain rippling through her body. She tried to get back up, but her foot throbbed in pain, immobilizing her leg.

She'd broken her ankle.

_But he's getting closer! _Ib dragged herself away, the sharp thing on the ground cutting into leg, creating a long ragged gash down it.

Sweat poured down her face as she tried to stay silent. She crawled as fast as she could, her injured leg slipping in a warm liquid.

Suddenly, she collided with something. _The wall! _Ib desperately ran her shaking hand against the wall, searching for door. Her hand caught something round made of cold metal. She twisted the doorknob furiously and pushed on the door.

**Thump, thump, thump. **

It wouldn't budge, the door was locked! She kept turning the knob as fast as she could, glancing over her shoulder. She could see his dark figure approaching.

"There's nowhere to run... there's nowhere to hide..."

A wave of panic ran through her as she turned back to the door, pounding her fists against it despairingly. _Please! Just open!_

**BE HERE FOREVER**

Red paint was dripping from the door, seeming to glow in the darkness.

**YOU'LL ROT HERE**

"No, no, no, no, no! Someone help!" She screeched desperately.

"I've got you now!"

Ib backed up against the wall. She put her hand down, something cracking beneath her.

It was a broken piece of glass.

Ib grimaced. She didn't want to but maybe she...

"There you are." By his voice, he must have been right in front of her. "You're a bad girl, you know, running away from me." He stuck his hand out, reaching for Ib.

Using both hands, she raised the piece of glass above her head, bringing it down into the flesh of his hand.

But instead, the glass shattered on impact, shards impaling her hand and littering the ground.

Ib screamed in pain, pulling her hand back. _What the heck?!_

"Tsk Tsk," Garry taunted, "I told you not to do anything like that again. You really ought to learn to listen-"

"GO TO HELL, GARRY!" Ib yelled, clutching her hand, feeling a warm fluid dripping down from it.

"Oh, Ib!" he scolded. "A girl like you should not be using that kind of language! Really, you should know better. I guess I need to teach you how to behave!"

And with that, he punched her in the nose, resulting in a sickening crunch. The impact sent her back, her head hitting the wall hard. She collapsed face first on the ground like a puppet with it's strings cut.

The cerise fluid flowed from her face and limbs, first eating away at her white blouse. Slowly, the white floor morphed into a bright red, originating from her limp body then spreading around her.

Garry knelt down next to her, running his fingers through her silky brunette locks. She looked so beautiful, the sparkling liquid perfectly matching her eyes. She looked so peaceful, just lying there, so innocent, so vulnerable, yet so afraid.

"Perfect."


	6. Chapter 6: Falling

**N/A:** /_\ Oh my god... I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a week. Gomennasi! My keyboard's broken, so it takes 10x longer to write (i have to use a on-screen keyboard. And we all know how much those suck...) Anyways, I'm **really really very sorry**,but i hope you like this chapter! And thank you so so much for the sweet and interesting comments! You don't know how happy it makes me to see that someone likes this story and took time to review. ^_^

Thanks so much to Deltahalo241, PinkHugsandKisses143, and Sammimi for favoriting and following! And I'm giving JeanaStar, SomeoneBehindTheShadows, and Ventus286 an internet hug for their awesome continued support! I wuv you all! ^_^

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><p><strong>Ch. 6: Falling<strong>

Ib was out cold for a while, and when she finally awoke, she was greeted with waves of excruciating pain and shock. She couldn't even muster enough energy to scream; she felt too tired and weak, like she'd pass out any second.

She was back in the little lit spot again, the vines wrapped around her.

Her left left was bloodied, her foot twisted in a gross, unnatural angle. Underneath it was a sticky pool of crimson blood, trailing forward into the shadows. The gash was caked in dry blood, forming a weak barrier to keep it from bleeding. Her hands laid limp to her sides, complete with their own small pools of blood. There were pieces of glass lodged in her hands, glistening red. Her arms and legs had dozens of cuts and bruises all over them.

Her face felt sticky, her mouth filled with the taste of iron. When she tried to move her head, feeling the worse headache imaginable, her nose twitched, igniting a burst of pain from it. _Aaaahhh! _She flinched, screaming inwardly. _Owww... my head... _Every breath hurt, like the air was on fire.

Her hands gripped her skirt tightly, then looked down to notice how ragged and destroyed they were. Her ripped red skirt was crusty with blood, the bottom extremely worn out. The elastic was up on her waist crookedly, squeezing her stomach uncomfortably. Her blouse was also on crookedly, now carmine, with he collar was sticking out in an awkward angle. _It hurts... _She let herself drift back to sleep, not seeing a point in trying to stay conscious anymore. There was no way out, and no one would be saving her...

"...Iiiibbbb?" a sinister voice sang. Ib opened her eyes into slits, seeing a masculine figure in the place of her Mother. She shut her eyes immediately, and went limp. _Please, just go away! Please! _

"I know you're awake, Ib." Garry tapped her broken noise, sending another sharp wave of pain through her.

"Oops," Garry snickered sadistically. Ib squinted up at him, trying not to show the anguish in her face.

He sat down in front of her, petting her on the head as if she were a dog. Ib spat at him, a blob of red liquid leaving her lips. Her normally sweet little scarlet eyes burned with hate as she clenched her teeth, glaring up at him. _To think I trusted him... he's nothing more than a lying pervert!_

Garry chuckled, wiping his face with the sleeve of his coat. "Oh, Ib. Your defiance just makes this more fun..." He leaned forward, clenching his fists as if getting ready to strike her.

Ib didn't bother screaming this time, instead punching him in the stomach repeatably as hard and as fast as she could.

"Oww! Stop that!" he growled, "You really are a naughty little girl. I guess I still need to teach you your manners." He flicked his wrist, the vines moving and tightening around her. The thorns dug and ripped into her flesh, blood squirting out of her arms and legs.

"Now, if you keep struggling, I'll tighten it around your neck until you choke on you own blood. Now, _go to sleep_!"

He balled up his fist again, smacking her in the eye. The impact threw her head back, an agonizing thud resonating from the wall in place of a scream. Too exhausted to respond or react, she coughed weakly, blood splattering on the ground. She let her head loll to the side, a glassy look in her downcast eyes. She struggled just to keep herself from falling into unconsciousness.

_It's over... I'm no going to last much longer..._

_B__ut... at this point... __death doesn't really seem so bad anymore... __Everyone I knew... or I thought I knew... are gone..._

Ib lifted her head to peer into Garry's icy blue eyes. Her own eyes seemed to cry out, desperately searching for the old Garry she once knew. He only smirked at her coldly, chuckling as he disappeared into the cold darkness.

_...So, what's there left to hang on to?_

Ib racked her brain for something, anything, to motivate herself. Breathing was becoming more and more excruciating; her mind becoming numb as the intoxicatingly blissful unconsciousness threatened to envelop her.

But she already knew the answer to her question.

_Nothing._

So she let go.


	7. Chapter 7: Savior

**N/A:** Hello everyone! Enjoy this chapter! (I dont really have anything to say so... yeah. XP)

But Whoa! I have 12 readers! ^~^ SHOUT OUT TO MY AMAZING READERS!

Bunny153539, Deltahalo241, Ib-chan, JeanaStar, Nova Galaxy, PinkHugsandKisses143, SomeoneBehindTheShadows, Ventus286, sychron, Varus the Shadow Sage, and Sammimi, YOU GUYS ARE FLIPPING AWESOME!

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Savior<strong>

"_Hee hee_!"

A familiar, cheery voice seemed to ring fainting in her ears.

"_Hey, Ib, let's play! I'll be the Mommy doll and you can be the Daddy doll!"_

"_We're gonna be friends forever, right?"_

"_I'm so glad you're here!"_

_Hee hee... _The giggling echoed through Ib's head...

"Come on, Ib! Wake up!" The same voice was talking to her, but it sounded muffled and far away...

_Who... is that? _

"Hee Hee, come on, let's play!"

Ib fought against herself to open her eyes, her eyelids feeling like they weighted a ton. One of her eyes refused to open. It felt like it was swollen shut. Her body no longer hurt, instead everything just felt numb. She couldn't move her limbs, and she couldn't think. Her lifeless maroon eyes met shinning aqua ones, belonging to a grinning blond.

"Yay, you're awake!" She cheered, spinning around with a doll in her hands.

_Wha... How... how was this possible? It's... it's..._

"M...Mary?" Ib rasped, her voice frail and unfamiliar to her own ears. _It couldn't be... _She knew it didn't make sense, but the little flicker of hope inside her refused to go out.

"Yep-er-doodles!"

"But... how.. I thought..."

"You know, you don't look that good..." she said abruptly, as if she'd just noticed.

_Yeah, and I don't feel that great either... _Ib laughed weakly, nodding her head a little.

"Wait, I think I can help with that!"

Mary carefully pulled Ib's rose from the vines above her. The rose was wilted, the stem brown and dry. There was just one rusty-red petal barely hanging on, a rip going halfway down it. It looked as if any small impact could destroy it forever. Mary held it cautiously and walked into the shadows. A few seconds later, there was a flash of blue light.

The pain in Ib's lessened, the fogginess lifting. The numbness left her, leaving a moderately bearable pain, but at least she could move her body... well, as much as she could move wrapped in vines.

Mary came skipping back, and handed Ib her rose, now green-stemmed and with three cherry-red petals. She sat down next to Ib, the doll in her hands.

Ib just stared at her in shock.

_She saved me...even after what we did to her..._

"Th-thank you..."

"No problem! You're my friend, after all!"

"Yeah.." Ib reached out her arms to hug Mary, only to be pulled back once again by the needle-like vines.

"Oh, sorry about that. I don't know why they have to have these!" Mary snapped her fingers, the vines disappearing around her.

Ib leaned to the side to hug Mary, trying to move as little as possible and awkwardly positioning her arms so that she didn't bleed on Mary's pretty dress.

"Thank you... I missed you so much!" Ib wept into her shoulder.

"Aw, are you getting all mushy on me?" Mary teased, hugging back, "I missed you too!"

"But I thought... I thought you were...Oh, whatever, it doesn't matter! You're here now!"

"Yep, I'm here! It's me, Mary!" she beamed, giving a little jazz hands.

Ib giggled a little. _My friend... is back! I thought we'd killed her, but... Now she's back! It... It's a miracle!_

A blue doll sat between them, Ib and Mary both petting it.

"He's the cutest, isn't he?" Mary cooed.

"Yeah, he is."

"I know, right! I can't believe Garry called them creepy! I mean just look at his little face!"

Ib's smile melted away at the mention of his name. Mary and the doll looked up at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Garry..." Ib said with disdain, like she was talking about dead bodies or dirty garbage.

"Oh, yeah... See, I was right about him, huh?"

Ib nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry I let him... you know... burn... you."

"Pssh, oh, don't worry about it! I'm fine now! And it was all his fault, he tricked you."

Ib smiled gratefully at Mary, pulling her in for another hug.

They played together with Dolly for hours, laughing like two normal little girls. They shared stories and jokes, and Ib told Mary about stuff in the real world. Ib told her about her family, school, the amusement park she went to last weekend, food, candy, animals, the sun, everything she could think of. Mary listened in wonder, her eyes sparkling.

With each passing second, Ib regretted her choice of burning Mary's painting, even if it didn't work. She'd never gotten to see any of the real world. Ib was already feeling pitiful for herself for being trapped here for however long, but Mary had been stuck here her _whole life_! She'd never known anything but this frightening place. No wonder she was so lonely.

"I wish there was some way you could come with me to the real world. But I don't even know if I'll ever get back."

Mary's eyes glistened, thinking.

"Well, maybe... maybe there is a way..."

"There... there is?"

"Yeah, I think so. The two of us can leave this place, then we can eat candy and go to the beach and be together forever!"

"R...Really?! How?"

"Well, a book I read said that anyone created in this world _is_ a real person. They just don't have a place in the real world. You and Garry already have spots in the world, but I was created without one. But, if someone replaces me here, I can replace their spot outside. That's just how it works here, I guess..."

Ib away, disappointed but a little bit hopeful. "So... that means... only two of us can ever get out? Someone is always going to have to stay..."

"I've tried, but there's no other way to leave."

"Okay, then... I'll stay," Ib blurted out before she could think about it. "I'm not going to leave you here."

"NO!" Mary shouted. "THAT'S NOT T- …Uh, I mean, I... I won't let you! But... there _is_ another way.

"You mean... Garry?"

Mary nodded her head, her mouth twisting almost as if she were trying to restrain a smile. _Weird._

"But, won't he try to stop us from leaving? How would we get him to stay? He's crazy."

Mary wrinkled her forehead. "Well, he _has _already tried to burn me. And he's trying to kill you, too. There's only one thing we can do. If he's coming after us, we have to defend ourselves."

Ib down at her hands, the blood a remember of what had happened. "...So if we don't kill him... he'll kill us."

"Seems so..." Mary put a hand on Ib's arm. "Hey, don't feel bad about it! I mean, Garry doesn't even deserve to get out after what he did to us."

"I... understand."

"Oh, but just wait until we get out! It's going to be so much fun!" She squealed happily.

They continued to play until they both collapsed from tiredness.

But before Ib closed her eyes, she kept one thing sharp in her mind.

_I understand what I have to do._

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><p><strong>NA: **Please review, favorite, and follow for more! :D And feel free to comment or ask any questions you want! I do my best to respond. It'll be helpful to know how many people are actually reading this. Don't get me wrong, I'm very very grateful for the readers I have now, and I'm definitely going to finish this story even if it's not popular. But you know, if you wanna click that fav/follow button feel free! *nudge nudge wink wink* ^_^ And your comments seriously make my day. Like, really. :P


	8. Chapter 8: Unforgivable

**N/A:** Hai everyone! Phewww, I'm glad I was able to update before the weekend ended! Anyway, Hope you like this chapter!

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><p><strong>Ch. 8: Unforgivable<strong>

When Ib woke up, she felt she was tangled in the vines once again. The first sight she caught was that of messy purple locks.

"Morning, deary." He grinned, his face uncomfortably close.

Ib braced herself, leaning back as far as she could and silently staring into his eyes.

Garry pulled her forward by her neck tie, just so that the thorns were pricking her neck, a few drops of blood rolling down her neck with the tears. She just stayed still, looking at him with disgust. Her unblinking eyes burned as she looked up at him, her lips pressed into a thin emotionless line. However,Ib could feel her body unwillingly tremble and her heart pounding in her ears.

**Thud, thud, thud. **

Her heart wasn't racing with happiness like in those cheesy romance movies, instead it was fear... and hatred.

**Thud, thud, thud.**

A deranged grin stretched across his face, a small chuckle escaping his lips. Ib eyes darted away, breaking the stare first.

**Thud, thud, thud.**

Clenching his fist, he handed a punch to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Her body slammed against the wall, neck jutting forward.

**Thud, thud, thud.**

She slumped down, gasping for air unevenly.

**Thud, thud, thud.**

She hated this. She hated this so much. She'd put her faith in someone, just to have them turn around and stomp on it. The only thing worse than being here in this situation was knowing that she couldn't do anything. She couldn't fight back, all she could do was act as a punching bag to this sick lunatic.

_Click._

**THUD, THUD, THUD.**

This time, the sound wasn't the beating of her heart, but instead something else. Ib strained her ear. It sounded like the distant slapping of shoes on the floor. Was someone else in the room? _Who is it? Could it be Mary?! Or, it could be something even worse!_

Garry, seeming to hear it, pulled her face to the side, the other hand ready to hit her again.

**Thud, thud, thud.**

Ib grimaced. She couldn't help it. It was too much.

She bit down as hard as she could on the hand on her face, the grotesque taste of the liquid was both revolving and strangely satisfying as it flowed between her teeth.

"Agh! STOP IT!" Garry slapped her across the face before holding his dripping hand. Blood ran down his arm as they splattered loudly on the floor in thick droplets. "Bad girl," He growled, pulling her head up by her hair. He kicked her legs in anger, her foot seeming to twist even more with the quick movement.

"AAAAHHHH!' She screamed in agony, trying to curl down, but couldn't. She panted raggedly, sweating and crying, clenching and unclenching her teeth. _I won't forgive you... __**I'll kill you**__! __You disgusting bastard!_

**Thud, thud, thud.**

She looked down, unable to look up at him. With his other hand, he put two fingers under her chin and pushed her head up to face him, then slapped her.

**Thud, thud, thud.**

"Sweetie, you really _must _learn to behave. I guess you just need more training." He grazed his fingers over her rose, hanging from the vines over her head. Then, he ripped off the petals until only one remained.

_Stop! Stop it! _Ib gritted her teeth, feeling a pain rip through her body with each tug. The petals fell to the ground, instantly shriveling and rotting as they hit the ground.

**Thud, thud, thud.**

Garry cackled malevolently, throwing her rose on the ground as if it were nothing. "Get used to it, you're going to be here a long, long time..." he breathed into her ear before running away.

Ib thought she saw another figure in the shadows, coming towards her out of the corner of her eye. She concentrated on breathing, the pain and loathing consuming her.

**Thud, thud, thud. **

**THUD, THUD, THUD.**

Something came out of the darkness from the direction Garry went into, but Ib didn't want to look up.

"Ib!" A worried voice called out. Mary came rushing to her side, wincing when she saw Ib's condition. "Sorry I wasn't here earlier!"

"I should... never have... trusted him." Ib gasped for air.

**THUD, THUD, THUD.**

Another figure appeared from the shadows.


	9. Chapter 9: Vengeance

**N/A:** Another chapter~! :D Yay! (I couldn't think of anything... sorry. .) But I just want to say thank-you so** so** very much to Deltahalo241, ThatMentalEagle, JeanaStar, Ib chan, Sammimi, Varus the Shadow Sage, WeirdRaptor, Bunny153539, Nova Galaxy, SomeoneBehindTheShadows, Ventus286, hotie098, sychron, and PinkHugsandKisses143. It's amazing, I really don't deserve 14 readers! ;v; Thank you, guys... Your reviews make me so happy! ^~^ Honestly, I can't thank you enough...

Well, hope you like this chapter!

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><p><strong>Ch. 9: Vengeance <strong>

"Oh my god! IB!" He screamed, running towards her.

Ib didn't bother turn her head, recognizing that all too familiar voice. But Mary was here now, she'd help her.

"I'm so glad I found you! Are you okay?! Do you-"

"Get... the fuck_._.. away from me." Ib spat, her eyes flaming red with hatred. She had a quiet, usually polite nature, and was certainly not one to curse, but it felt more than appropriate right now.

Garry froze several feet in front of her, his face shocked. "Wha-? Ib, I didn't-"

Ib scoffed, spitting the carmine fluid out of her mouth. _Disgusting. _

"Playing dumb now that Mary's here, huh? You are a coward and you disgust me!** I hate you!**" The rage she felt overpowered the pain she was feeling.

"Yeah, how could you do this to Ib?! I knew you were trouble!" Mary shouted.

"WHAT?! Ma-Mary?! You- No, wait! I-I-"

"Save it, Garry. We know all about what you're doing." Mary said.

Garry opened and closed his mouth, no words coming out.

"Here." Mary whispered, putting something in Ib's hand. Ib looked down.

It was a pallet knife.

"You have to, Ib. If we don't kill him, he's gonna kill us! And then we can finally get out, together! We can play all day!"

Ib nodded, gripping it in her right hand until her knuckles turned white, ignoring the shards of glass being driven deeper into her flesh. The droplets of blood glistened as they ran down the blade of the knife. She looked back at him, quickly hiding it behind her tattered skirt.

"Ib, I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner. I saw you walk away, but then I went back to the real world. It took me a while to get back here..." Garry walked closer to her.

Ib cowered down, whipping her head away from him and trying not to let him hear her unintentionally whimpering.

_Szzzzzzz..._

_Huh?_ Ib opened her unswollen eye. _He's not... _Ib turned her head to face him, seeing Garry holding his lighter to the wall. Confusion seeped into her angry eyes. _What is he doing?_

Suddenly, the spiked vines turned to ash, dissolving around her. Ib looked up at the wall, seeing the painting it was from was up in flames. _Why is he doing this?!_

Garry knelt down, holding out his hand. "Ib, you're going to be fine."

"No!" Ib quickly tried to scoot away from him, towards Mary.

She grunted as she dragged herself, the red pieces of glass still impaled pushing further in. A few pieces went all the way through her palm, the sharp point glinting red out of the top of her hand, spilling out blood. Her twisted foot throbbed in pain, with each movement the gash still bleeding. She let go of the knife, clattering on the ground. She fell on her side, groaning as her head struck the ground.

Garry gasped, dropping his blue rose and putting a hand on her arm. "Ib!"

Ib cringed, shaking, not because of the pain, but because of how strange his touch felt.

"Be careful! It's going to be okay! How did this happen? W-what do I do?!"

Ib squinted at him, his face looking... distressed. _What the hell was going on? He did all this to me in the first place..._

"Ge... get away... from me, Garry..."

"Ib..." Garry scooped her up in his arms, careful not to touch her injured limbs. Ib trembled, her red stained tears falling to the ground.

"Listen to me, I-"

She swung her leg up desperately, trying to kick him in the face while punching him. "Don't touch me! Let me go, you bastard! Let me go, let me go, let me go!"

"Put her down!" Mary demanded.

"Whoa! Ib, stop! Please!" Ib stopped, her dull, dark red eyes meeting his sad blue eyes. _What...? _He looked different, almost like a completely different person. He looked genuinely confused, concerned, hurt. "I'm sorry..." he gently pulled his hands back. Ib sat upright, lifting herself by her elbows. She grabbed the knife off the floor, looking over at Mary and seeing her give a small nod.

"Do it."

Ib raised the knife over her head, the blade glinting as it caught the light. Ib stared him in the eyes, bringing the knife down to his chest. Garry's eyes widened, a gasp escaping his lips. He felt back a little, elbows bent behind him.

**_Now die._**


	10. Chapter 10: Revelation

**N/A: **Well, when I logged back on today, I saw that this chapter did not in fact get uploaded last week. ._. Well, hopefully it works this time... *sigh* I hope you all like it!

**Note:** I feel it would be irresponsible not to put a language warning on this chapter. There is use of the f-word. Just wanted to let you know. :)

Also, the page breaks signifies a change from Ib's POV to Garry's POV

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><p><strong>Ch 10: Revelation<strong>

_WAIT! _Ib stopped, the tip of the blade mere centimeters away from him. Ib blinked, no one moving as if time had stopped.

She'd seen something in his eyes... pure terror, mixed with undeniable confusion.

But his eyes just looked... so _different_. They didn't seem to hold the evilness she'd seen from him. He didn't look capable of doing what he did to her. He looked just like the man she'd found in the gallery, an eternity ago.

Then she realized why his touch had felt so distant and strange.

It was a sensation that had almost become foreign to her, so much that she couldn't recognize it until now.

His hand was... warm. It reminded her of something she couldn't quite put her finger on...

What she had mistaken for as chills had actually been tingling... It felt so gentle, tender... pleasant, even...

She studied his face, his clenched closed eyes now looking back at her. He looked so worried... but not for himself.

For her.

Her conviction shattered, her face softening to a confused gaze.

Then she noticed something.

His hand wasn't bleeding.

Ib lowered the knife, loosing her grip on the smooth wooden handle.

"Ga...Garry?"

The knife hit the ground, the piercing clatter snapping everyone out of the trance.

"IB!" Mary screeched, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! **KILL HIM!**"

"N-No..." Ib turned her head to face Mary. "No."

"WHAT?! IT'S OUT ONLY CHANCE! YOU KNOW WHAT HE DID TO YOU! HE DOESN'T DEESERVE TO LIVE!" Light was flashing over her, almost as if she were flickering.

"I..I...WHAT?!" he stuttered, standing up to face her.

"AH, FINE! I'LL DO IT MYSELF! I'M NOT LETTING ANYONE STOP MY PLAN, I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO KILL YOU BOTH!" She grabbed the knife off the ground, yelling as she blindly charging at Garry with the knife above her head. She flickered, and suddenly Garry was in her place. She flickered again, changing back to the blond girl.

"Wha...?" Ib gaped at her, her eyes widening. _Am... am I going crazy...?!_

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><p><strong>~~~Garry's POV~~~<strong>

Garry ducked to the side, the blade not even close to glancing him. Her momentum kept her running forward, giving Garry time to back up.

Mary growled, flashing again. Turning around, Garry suddenly replaced her, glaring at the other man. It ran towards him again, slashing wildly with the pallet knife. The other Garry stumbled backwards, horrified shock clear on his face.

"Wha- what in the world...?"

"DIE!" It outcried... in his own voice.

It jabbed the knife at the other man, aiming the tip under his collar bone.

"LOOK OUT!" Ib yelled, shaking him out of daze.

"Ah!" He grunted, catching his doppelganger's wrist in his left fist, struggling to push its arm to the side. Pulling back his right arm and squeezing his eyes shut, he smacked his fist into its cheek.

**CRAAACK!**

"AHH! ...H-huh?" Garry recoiled, glancing down at this hand.

His knuckles were dripping with blood, new cuts all over his hand and arm.

_I... I thought I felt something sharp...?_

He snapped his head back up, not wanting to be caught off guard. All he saw was the darkness, until he heard a startling noise.  
>"Heh heh heh heh... HEHEHEH HAHAHAHAHA!" He looked down to see Mary cackling uncontrollably as she staggered back and forth a few steps, a crazed spark consuming her blue eyes.<p>

The flesh on her right cheek looked fractured, the cracks spreading across her face as she grinned, the few shards of skin that seemed to have fallen off seeped out a dark red sludge.

_WHAT- WHAT THE _HELL_? H-_

"Hehehehe!" She stumbled forward, trusting the blade towards his chest. Garry evaded the jabs, backing up and ducking her wide, desperate punches.

"GAHH, STAY STILL DAMMIT! STOP FUCKING MOVING!" She precipitously ran straight towards him with her head down, and both hands clasped around the handle, holding it above her head.

"You... thing!" Garry spat, shoving her off balance and kicking her down with all his weight.

"N-NOOO-!" She screeched, falling backwards to the ground.

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><p><strong>~~~Ib's POV~~~<strong>

Ib watched in stunned shock as her back hit the ground first, and with a loud, heavy thud, breaking into two. Blood splattered onto Ib's face, blinding her with a flash of red. She cringed in shock, opening her eyes to see Mary flashing between people, engraving the images of her and Garry's mutilated bodies oozing out blood on the floor into her head. They were decapitated, their arms, legs, and torso shattered into pieces as if they were glass dolls.

Ib bent down to her side, clutching her stomach, and puked.

All her energy she had had been put into the last few minutes, leaving her extremely tired and in pain. And after seeing that... She was starting to feel dizzy and light-headed... Everything was starting to look a little foggy too... She fell down, face first. _Maybe if I just close my eyes for a bit..._

Suddenly, someone was shaking her.

"Ib, are you alright?! I'm not going to hurt you! Please say something!" Garry's words echoed through her head, as if he were talking to her through a long corridor.

She opened her eyes slowly, lifting her trembling hand to his cheek. She hadn't felt the warmth of a person in a long time. Her fingertips tingled as they met his skin. _It feels nice..._

"Ga-Garry? Are you... real?"

"Yeah..." he smiled tearfully. "Yeah, it's me. That thing's not going to hurt you anymore."

"I'm sorry... I'm so glad you're here... you're really here..." She muttered before passing out again.

"Ib? IB! Can you hear me? Hey! Stay..." His voice sounded like they were underwater, getting quieter and quieter by the second, until everything faded to silence.


	11. Chapter 11: Escape

**N/A:** I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! And if you do not celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you had a nice day anyways! ^_^

**Note:** Ooh, we're nearing the end now. ;_; Wow...Thanks guys, for staying with me this long!

Anyway, this whole chapter is Garry's POV. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Ch. 11: Escape<strong>

Garry stood over Mary's-then, in the blink of an eye, his own- bleeding, split-open body on the ground.

"You...you did all that to Ib, didn't you?!"

"Whatever do you mean? I didn't do anything." Mary rasped, her eyes squinted but a smirk still on her face. "Y..._You_ did." The other Garry whispered.

He glared down at it, watching as it flashed faster and faster.

It convulsed in pain, its blood-spitting coughs turning into choking gasps. It's eyes changed from madness to what could only be described as... pleading, maybe even a bit... scared. It was the body of a little girl, and his own... And it was in such pain...

_Ha. It deserved it._

...But he didn't feel one shred of remorse for it.

_Damn, what a foul, disgusting thing..._

It all fell into place, what had happened. _How DARE this thing trick Ib like that! What a coward, tormenting her but hiding behind my face! No wonder she was so angry, she thought it was me._

He looked up, shaking his head, trying to push away the racing thoughts of what it could have done to her.

_Oh god...**THIS THING IS ABSOLUTELY REVOLTING!** _He screamed inwardly as he gave it another kick in the head, sending it rolling away from the body. The head continued to flash, a tortured and imploring expression etched on the bloody face.

Eventually the flickering stopped, the image settling on that of a life-like glass sculpture of a human man holding something, shattered in multiple places. Looking closely, the liquid seeping out of it looked too thick to be blood... it looked like red paint.

Garry leaned backed up, leaning against the wall. He clutched the cloth on his chest, only now realizing how hard he was breathing.

He turned his head away from the form in front of him, seeing Ib lying on the floor, motionless.

"Oh my god! IB!"

She looked terrible. Her clothes were ripped and bloody. The few small patches of skin that were not smothered in a layer of blood were inhumanly pale. Her face and body were bloodied, cut, and bruised. And he was pretty sure that feet were not supposed to twist like that.

"No, no, no, no, no!" He ran over to her, shaking her lightly.

"Ib, are you alright? I'm not going to hurt you! Please, say something!"

Thank goodness, she opened one eye a little, the other purple and seeming to be swollen shut. The energetic glow that was usually there was fading by the second. She lifted her hand, bloody and impaled all the way through with glass, up to his cheek. Her hand was ice cold.

"Ga-Garry? Are you... real?

_Poor thing. Being Ib, she'd probably figured it out too, but it must be hard to trust someone with the same face as her torturer. _

"Yeah..." Garry replied, putting on his biggest smile so she wouldn't worry. "Yeah, It's me. That thing isn't going to hurt you anymore."

"I'm sorry... I'm so glad you're here... you're really here..." Garry cradled her in his arms as her eyes slowly closed again.

Tears were streaming down his face as he yelled at her between sobs, not even bothering to stifle his cries.

"Ib? IB! Can you hear me? Hey! Stay with me! Don't fall asleep! Hey!" He felt her pulse, weak, but still beating.

"Don't worry, Ib. It's all over now. We can finally go home." He kept talking to her while he ripped off a piece of fabric from the bottom of his coat, gently wrapping it around her leg to stop the bleeding. _There's not enough time... we have to get out of her as soon as possible! I don't know how much longer she can make it..._

He carefully picked her up, plucking their roses up off the ground and placing them in her tiny hands, feeling her tighten her grip around them slightly.

"Just hang on, okay?" He dashed down the room, passing a the broken statue, the "Couple" painting they'd seen earlier and a glass pedestal. He sprinted through the hallways and rooms, not bothering to look around for dangers. The real danger was if Ib stayed in this place a second too long.

"It's going to be okay, Ib!" He retraced his steps back to the "Fabricated World," seeing the frame disappearing as it came into view. He ran as fast as he could, and leaped through the painting without hesitation.

He closed his eyes, everything turned a blinding white.

_Please, please... don't let my last words to Ib be a lie._


	12. Chapter 12: Reunited

**N/A: **Oh my gosh... :D WELCOME TO THE SECOND-TO-LAST CHAPTER! ;~; Man... I'm actually a bit sad now...

BUT ANYWAY! Hope you like it! And also, I'd like so say hi to Person P and Stationary Stars (cool name btw ㈴2)! Thanks for following! Welcome to the club!

(_NOTE:_ We're back to Ib's POV now)

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><p><strong>Ch. 12: Reunited<strong>

_A white... wall?_

Ib found herself just looking straight into... a wall. _What was I doing? _She glanced around her, but no one was there. The room was completely empty.

_How long was I here?_ She walked around, looking for Mother and Father. _Oh man, I hope they're not mad..._

She walked west, passing a couch and mannequins, then went down the stairs. _Are they still at the reception desk? _

_Hmmm... I guess not. _She went east, seeing a frightful floor painting of a giant fish in water. _For some reason, I feel a sense of dread around that... _She quickly scurried south, averting her eyes from the painting.

She entered a small room, with one other person in it. A tall man was looking at a huge sculpture of a red rose in the corner of the room.

She walked closer to it, standing behind the man, a few feet away. She didn't want to bother him.

The rose was beautiful, with large, glistening petals. There were also a few on the ground around it. For some reason, Ib felt almost panicked at seeming the petals on the floor.

_The flower needs those petals... It'll rot without it!_

_...Wait... what? _Ib shook her head dismissively. _What a random thought! Where was this coming from?_

**WHEN YOUR ROSE WILTS, YOU TOO WILL ROT AWAY.**

"Huh?" Ib took a step back, startled. The words flashed in front of her, like she'd seen them before. _What does that mean? It doesn't make any sense..._

She looked back up to see the man looking at her. Her cheeks turned pink at the stranger's gaze. _Oops, did I say that out loud?_

"Um, I'm sorry..." she mumbled.

"Oh, it's fine! Did you want something, little lady?"

She smiled. He was nice. She liked him. "What's this statue?"

"Ah... this? It's called 'Embodiment of Spirit,' apparently," he answered, reading the title to her.

"When I look this sculpture, I feel somehow sorrowful... hmm, I wonder why?" He put a hand on his chin, pausing to think for a moment. He looked back down at the girl apologetically. " ...Ah, I'm sorry if I said something to trouble you, Ib."

_Huh? _Ib turned from the sculpture to him._ How did he know my name?_

"...Wait, what? Who's Ib?"

"That's me..." Ib said, pointing to herself.

"What? That's your name? Your name is really Ib? That's the strangest thing... I mean I don't know you at all. That just kind of came out... how odd."

They both looked at each other with a vague recognition. "But... actually... have we met somewhere before?" He smiled, a small laugh escaping his lips. "Oh, look at me, asking you such strange things. Never mind what I said... Well, bye."

He stuck his hands into his coat pocket and began walking away.

Inexplicably, Ib felt a little sad to see him go. But now that she thought about it... he did look a bit familiar. The lavender hair... the ragged coat... kind blue eyes... _Have I met him before? It feels like I should remember. _

"Wait..." She stepped forward, feeling something under her foot. Looking down, she saw a piece of dark blue cloth partially wrapped around her leg. _Why is this there? _She knelt down and inspected it. _Now this definitely looks really familiar... _She held it between her fingers, about to pull it off, when she felt a piercing pain through her head.

An image of her and the man running down a dark hall flashed before her.

_That person... he's..._

More images ran through her head as if she were watching them.

Roses, ladies in paintings, mannequins in dresses, eyeballs, bunnies, a smiling blond girl, a burning canvas. Vines twining around her, the fake, a pallet knife...

But what eclipsed everything were the many images of a him. Of that man. Of...

"...Garry."

She remembered. She remembered it all. The good and the bad... She looked down at herself, uninjured and clean. It was all okay now! She beamed, rising to her feet and looking back up at Garry. He was turned towards her, her handkerchief in his hand, a dazed expression on his face.

"...Ib?"

Ib made an uncharacteristically loud squeal of joy, hurling herself forward. She rammed into him, knocking the wind out of him. "We did it, Garry! We made it back!" she laughed and cried in joy as she hugged his waist tightly.

Garry leaned down and hugged her back, a few tears dropping onto her shoulder. "Yeah... we did it!I'm so glad you're okay, Ib! I'm so sorry I didn't get there earlier." he said, kissing the top of her head. "I can't imagine what it must have been like..."

"I'm sorry I thought that monster was you... I-I almost stabbed you..."

"Ib, don't apologize, okay? You didn't do anything wrong. You were so brave. And it's all over now, nothing will hurt you anymore. I'll make sure of that."

She smiled up at him gratefully, not wanting to let go.

"I have to go find my parents now, but... but I don't want to leave you again..."

Garry knelt down, putting a hand on Ib's shoulder. "Don't worry, Ib, I won't leave you. Come on," he held out his hand. "Let's go find your parents."

Ib giggled, giving a little curtsy and taking his hand.

"Thanks, Garry. For everything."

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><p><strong>AN:** Ah, just one more chapter left to go! Oh my glob I can believe we're almost done with this story... And that you stayed with me this whole time! Thank you guys... ㈷7

Oh, finishing this story is definitely going to leave a hole in my life... feel free to PM if you have any requests for what I should write next or if there's something you want me to write about in a bonus chapter!

And like always, review if you want to! You comments make me so incredibly happy... Yes, I'm that nerdy. ㈳8 And if you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them! I'm one of those people who likes subtle details in the plot and such (though I may not be that great at it... Hehe) so if anything was confusing, feel free to ask! Since we're close to the end, I think I can answer most questions you may have without spoiling anything.

Well, I must depart to go do school stuff now. I actually have a lot to do... ㈶6 sad face. And I gotta start on that list of animes that my friend's making me watch. ㈵4 Plus I'm doing Secret Santa this year and I have to think if something good. And projects i'm doing...

Well, you're probably busy too, so ill stop rambling and just go now. XD

See ya next chapter, lovely humans!


	13. Chapter 13: Lemon Macaroons

**N/A:** I'm so sorry for the delay! I just had pre-finals before Winter Break, so I had to do a lot of studying (As a lot you you probably did too! ._. I also got a new computer, and I had a lot of trouble getting a writing application to work (seriously it keeps crashing on me!). But anyway, here I am with a new and probably last chapter! **sniffle sniffle...** :,( This was so fun to write, and all the sweet comments I got made me so happy.

Thank you SO SO much to all the fabulous people reading this. YES, YOU! Thanks so much, I honestly can't describe how much you all mean to me. Thank you for supporting me through these 22 pages (apparently XD), I love you all so much! (o^w^)o

I hope you enjoy this 'bonus' chapter, I thought it might be nice to tie-up the ending a bit more, and just cuz I wanted to write a little more. ("^~^)

Sorry if the characters seem OOC though, but anyone who writes for Ib knows how hard it is to make them in-character, especially since Ib is mute. XD I tried my best to make it work, but I can't guarantee it did. But hey, even if you are introverted and quiet (I kinda am), I think escaping an evil twisted gallery where everything tries to kill you merits a _little_ more happiness, okay? (I'm just gonna pretend you said "'kay" cause i can't actually hear you. :P)

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: Lemon Macaroons<strong>

They walked forward, Garry squeezing her hand tighter as they passed the "Abyss of the Deep." _I guess it was scary to him too. _

"Oh, wait! There they are!" Ib said, spotting them looking at a painting on the wall north of the floor painting. "Mommy! Daddy!" She squealed, running and hugging them both. Garry chuckled softly, walking towards them.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Ib exclaimed. _It feels like so long! _

"Ib! Where did you go?" Her father scolded. "Your mother and I were starting to get worried! You were gone for a while, we were just about to start looking for you."

"Are you okay, Ib?" Mother asked. "You didn't break anything, did you?"

"No, I..." Ib paused for a second, deciding against telling the truth. They wouldn't believe it anyway. "I'm fine. I just got lost, that's all." She smiled, pulling Garry forward by his sleeve. "This is my friend Garry. He helped me get back here when I lost my way."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am, Sir." he greeted them politely, extending his hand.

"Well, thank you very much, young man. I hope she didn't cause too much trouble." Her father said, shaking his hand.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all! Ib is a very sweet, brave, and intelligent girl. We actually had a lot to talk about."

"My, what a kind young man you are! Thank you so much for helping Ib!" Mother said.

"Of course, it was no problem," he replied, giving a small bow.

"Mommy, I'm kind of hungry. Can Garry come with us to the café?" Ib asked excitedly.

"Sure, I don't see a problem with that," Mother replied.

"Yes, Ib doesn't put her trust in just anyone. If she trusts you, we trust you too," Father added.

"Oh, thank you very much, I would love to come. And don't worry, Sir, I'll make sure she stays safe at all times. If anyone so much as lays a finger on her, I-"

"_Garry..._" Ib complained, tugging on his coat.

"Oh, sorry Ib!"

Ib's parents laughed, her mother patting her on the head. "Well, if you're hungry, Ib, we can go now."

"Yay!" Ib cheered. She was practically starving after not eating for what felt like months. "Come on, Garry, let's go!" Ib grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her towards the exit.

"Whoa! Slow down, Ib! How do have so much energy left after what happened?" he said, stumbling and trying to keep up with her.

"Aw, how cute." Ib's mother said, the parents following them. "I've never seen Ib open up to anyone like that before."

As they approached the door, Ib saw another piece near the door that she hadn't noticed the first time. She stopped in front of, peering beyond the red tape around it. It looked like a glass statue of a man, but it was broken into pieces on the ground. In it's hand, there was what looked like a mask. _It seems kind of familiar... _She looked at the name plate on the pedestal.

"Hey, Garry, what is this called?"

She looked up to see an alarmed look crossing his face as he saw the sculpture.

"Oh, um, let's see... it's called... 'The Deceiver.'"

She threw a quiet glance back at it, wondering what Garry was acting so weird about. She was about to turn away, until something caught her eye. There was something shiny and metallic in the debris, next to the other hand. _Wait... That looks a lot like..._

"Um, Ib, are you coming?" Garry called, a few steps ahead, still frowning at the statue. "I kinda want to get out of this place..."

"Oh, sorry!" She laughed, taking his hand and walking beside him.

"So, Ib, I promised that we'd get macaroons after we got out. What flavor do you want to try?"

Her cheeks dimpled and the corners of her eyes wrinkled as she looked up at him, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

"Well, I really like lemon."

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><p><strong>NA: **So... can you guess what that "shiny and metallic" thing was...?

Well, I hope you enjoyed this story! Wow, it's kinda hard to believe it's over. (;^;) Again, thanks everyone for sticking with me all the way to the end!

Fun fact, i had originally planned a sad ending, but as I continued to write, the ending I had in mind seemed too obvious. And also, I felt bad for wanting to stomp on your hopes and dreams. (^v^)

If anyone has suggestions or requests for what I should write next, feel free to PM me! Have a great day everyone!

_**EDIT:**_ If anyone has questions about the story or such, I would be happy to explain. But please, sign into your account before reviewing. I can't answer if you're still in guest mode!

Thanks! :D


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